Chapter 27 Notes from Dracula

Dracula Chapter 27

Mina, Jonathan, Van Helsing and Seward write the final chapter of the book, in turns.

Days pass and they are still pursuing Dracula. The boat has not overtaken him, due to an accident, which had no bad consequences other than to force them onto the road and slow them down. Mina is becoming more vampiric. She cannot stand garlic, she does not eat, and only sleeps in the day. She is hard to hypnotize. By this time, she and Van Helsing are traveling by road, exchanging horses at farms when the animals become too tired.

Van Helsing at night puts a large circle of crumbled Holy Wafer around Mina, keeping her trapped in and keeping other evils out. One night the three vampire-women from Jonathan's first diary approach, beckoning her to join them. Mina has enough of her humanity still to be horrified.

Finally, the group approach the castle. Van Helsing leaves Mina in a holy circle and enters alone. Dracula has not yet made it there. The Professor finds the chapel and the coffins of the three girls. Despite his revulsion, he sacrifices them all in a bloody, foamy mess. He puts holy artifacts in Dracula's tomb and at the castle entrance, to seal them from all evil.

As the two travel to try and meet the Count coming in, they stop to find shelter and safety from the wolves. They see in the distance a band of gypsies with a cart carrying a great wooden box. Following the gypsies from the south are two horsemen, Quincey and Seward. Closing in from the north are Jonathan and Arthur. The gypsies are racing the sunset, as Dracula is powerless until then. Van Harker and Mina wait in ambush.

The horsemen overtake the cart in time for the three parties to surround the gypsies, who are desperate to get to the castle by the impending sunset. They all draw their weapons, prepared for a war. Wolves move in behind everyone.

Jonathan and Quincey take the initiative from opposite sides and attack. The gypsies fight, but the men manage to knock over the box and pry it open. The sun is quickly setting. Mina describes the scene.

"As I looked, the eyes saw the sinking sun, and the look of hate in them [the gypsies] turned to triumph. But, on the instant, came the sweep and flash of Jonathan's great knife. I shrieked as I saw it shear through the throat; whilst at the same moment Mr Morris's bowie knife plunged in the heart."Chapter 27, pg. 416

The Count is dead, and the gypsies, covered by four guns, run away, but Quincey is mortally wounded, too. A gypsy knifed him in the side during the fight. In his dying words, he points out, "Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain! See! the snow is not more stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away!" Chapter 27, pg. 417

In a note written seven years later, Jonathan writes that all have remained friends, including the wives of Seward and Godalming. The Harkers' son, born on the anniversary of Quincey's death, is named for all the vampire hunters and called Quincey.